Cast: Dhruva Sarja, Rashmika Mandanna, Chikkanna, Ravi Shankar, Mayuri

Directed By: Nanda Kishore

Pogaru was touted as one of the most awaited films from Sandalwood this year for the simple reason that both Dhruva Sarja and director Nanda Kishore took almost a year to make this project. 

Dhruva Sarja's Pogaru tries to replicate time-tested mother-son sentimental drama as it portrays protagonist Shiva (Dhruva Sarja) leading a fearless life. The director goes overboard in casting the hero in the mould of a mass character. Dhruva Sarja spends too much time mouthing mass dialogues as he takes too much screen space looking like a ruffian.

The story of Pogaru is mostly told by the protagonist, Shiva, a local youth whose bitter childhood makes him 'notorious'. Shiva longs for his deceased father and his only weakness is his mother (Pavithra Lokesh). He goes all out to get her attention and love, but all his attempts backfire.

However, an incident takes place between him and his sister (Mayuri), which becomes the turning point in his life, and there is a drastic change in his behaviour. How Shiva becomes a messiah to the people living in his neighbourhood, and how it affects them forms the rest of the story.

As Pogaru turns out to be Dhruva's one-man show, the director leaves little space for other characters like Dhananjaya, Rashmika, Kuri Prathap. 

Overall, the film is overloaded with typical Dhruva stuff meant only for a mass audience. The film features four top bodybuilders and models Kai Greene, Morgan Aste, Wayne Lucas and Jo Lindner in the climax fight. The concept of using top bodybuilders in climax fights hardly adds any value to the film except perhaps as a promotional. Music by Chandan Shetty is good but Karabu song picturisation is a celebration of eve-teasing.

Technically, Pogaru looks very rich in every frame and thanks to cinematographer Vijay Milton and childhood flashback episode that shows the Dhruva Sarja in a physical transformation as a teenager will definitely be remembered by the audience.

Overall, the film is a mass entertainer which doesn't have anything new to offer. It's a one-time watch for Dhruva Sarja's energy.